Showgirls (1995)

Nomi, a young drifter, arrives in Las Vegas to become a dancer and soon sets about clawing and pushing her way to become the top of the Vegas showgirls.

Director:

Paul Verhoeven

Writer:

Joe Eszterhas

Stars:

Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon

10 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elizabeth Berkley	...	Nomi Malone
Kyle MacLachlan	...	Zack Carey
Gina Gershon	...	Cristal Connors
Glenn Plummer	...	James Smith
Robert Davi	...	Al Torres
Alan Rachins	...	Tony Moss
Gina Ravera	...	Molly Abrams
Lin Tucci	...	Henrietta 'Mama' Bazoom
Greg Travis	...	Phil Newkirk
Al Ruscio	...	Mr. Karlman
Patrick Bristow	...	Marty Jacobsen
William Shockley	...	Andrew Carver
Bobbie Phillips	...	Dee
Dewey Weber	...	Jeff
Rena Riffel	...	Penny / Hope

Storyline

All alone in the world, Nomi Malone, making her way to Las Vegas, is determined to make a name as a dancer while putting her unspoken past behind her. Her tough, streetwise veneer is not as infallible as she would like, she, as she arrives in Vegas, becoming more cautious in the way she approaches strangers who seem willing to help her purely out of the goodness of their heart. Her talent and connections in combination are only able to get her a job at the Cheetah Club, a strip joint. Her first true friend in Vegas, Molly Abrams, works as the costumer for Goddess, the topless production at the Stardust. It is through Molly that Nomi catches the eye of Goddess' headliner, Cristal Connors. Nomi has a love/hate feeling toward Cristal: she doesn't much like her but wants to become her. Being at the Stardust, Nomi also catches the eye of Cristal's boyfriend, Zack Carey, Stardust's entertainment director. Through these contacts, Nomi is presented opportunity after opportunity to be part of ...

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Plot Keywords:

stripper | lap dancing | striptease | female nudity | sex in a swimming pool | 

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Taglines:

The most controversial movie of the year is here.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated NC-17 for nudity and erotic sexuality throughout, and for some graphic language and sexual violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Paul Verhoeven called 'Showgirls' his most 'Fellini-esque', praising it for its lush cinematography and colors. He also admitted that it lacked dramatic drive, and that he should have included a thriller element in the form of a murder mystery.

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Goofs

The trained chimps are referred to throughout the film as monkeys. Chimpanzees are apes.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jeff: Hop in, pard!
Nomi Malone: Where are you going?
Jeff: Vegas! Come on! This is your lucky day!

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Alternate Versions

The movie in the USA was given an NC-17 rating. Since video rental chains like Blockbuster Video would not carry movies with this rating, some of the sex scenes, nudity and sexual assault details were cut to produce an R-rated video version. The complete NC-17 version was available on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray. The R-rated version is as of 2016 is only available on VHS.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Vin Diesel/Carl Reiner/Kobe Bryant/Iggy Azalea and Jennifer Hudson (2015)

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Soundtracks

Ripopgodezippa
Written, Performed, Produced and Arranged by Prince

User Reviews

Awesome

This film to me seemed to be what made Boogie Nights possible. Sure Elizabeth's acting could use a little work, but this was her first film straight from Saved by the Bell. What a change of character, and I think it is pulled off well. The story is intriguing, and I truly enjoy the characters, which I believe are pretty close to the way some people I know truly are. I am a huge fan of this film, and would recommend this great movie to anyone over the age of 17. It is not a kid movie, or a teenage flick, sure it has some hard subject matter, but don't let that stand in the way of a great film.

Details

Country:

France USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 September 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Showgirls

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,112,627, 24 September 1995

Gross USA:

$20,350,754

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$20,358,624

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carolco Pictures, Chargeurs, United Artists

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min 131 min (NC-17)

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo Dolby SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1